VIVA Las Vegas

For two days in October, cameras focused on the work of the MGH Vascular Center and the Knight Center for Interventional Cardiovascular Therapy when the physicians, technicians, nurses and staff participated in 11 cases broadcast live to the Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA) 2010 conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 19 and 20.

Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, director of Cardiac and Vascular Invasive Service, lead a multidisciplinary team of physicians who demonstrated complex vascular interventions for the more than 2,200 attendees at the conference. The physicians included Christopher Kwolek, MD, Robert Schainfeld, DO, Douglas Drachman, MD, and Joseph Garasic, MD, of the MGH Heart and Vascular Centers.

"We were able to demonstrate and convey to the audience the high level and quality of care that we offer as a result of a team effort that is always A-plus, from the cardiologists and surgeons to a supporting staff that is unmatched and unparalleled," said Rosenfield.

The demonstrated interventions included carotid artery and kidney artery stents, lower extremity revascularization and closing an aneurysm behind the knee

"The cases were performed live via satellite from five leading centers across the United State and Germany by experts who were able to demonstrate new techniques and technologies," said Michael R. Jaff, DO, medical director the MGH Vascular Center, who is on the faculty of VIVA. "The format included a faculty panel at the VIVA meeting in Las Vegas who observed and discussed the nuances of the cases with the physicians in attendance."

MGH physicians perform a case in front of the cameras in the Knight Center for Interventional Cardiovascular Therapy

This was the third time MGH had broadcast live cases to VIVA since the conference began eight years ago. This year, the team at MGH highlighted the ethical responsibilities of performing live case demonstrations. MGH developed a code of conduct for the staff that was also shared with each patient who agreed to participate.

"This is a topic of much debate nationally, and we set the standard on how to perform live cases to the highest ethical standards," said Rosenfield.

Preparing for the two days of filming took several months of preparation and coordination within the Vascular Center and Knight Center, and included coordination with Buildings & Grounds, which helped the satellite broadcasting company connect 1,000 feet of cable through the hospital, and Environmental Services, which accommodated for the Knight Center's extended hours on the days of filming.

"This was a huge effort orchestrated at multiple levels," said Rosenfield. "The cath lab team hit it out of the park and enormous credit belongs to Sharon McKenna, nursing director for the Knight Center, Janet McClintic, administrative manager for the MGH Heart Center, and Laura Haley, NP, of vascular medicine, who helped make this a huge success."